Shri Ramacharitamanasa is an ocean of Bhakti – it is almost unfathomably deep, it is new and different every time one enters its depths, it holds within itself unexplored treasures and pearls of emotion and devotion, and you can lose yourself in its currents and find yourself miles from where you began. Its language is deceptively simple at the surface; those reading it without Bhakti experience it as one would a storybook, and those approaching it with devotion find themselves swept away with the waves of emotion it evokes.

As the name suggests, it is the Charita of Shri Rama as seen by Sant Tulsidas in his mind’s eye. Its narration is multilayered and is structured in the form of three conversations – the Crow Saint Kakabhushundi tells the tale to Vishnu Vahana Garuda, Rishi Yajnyavalkya narrates to Rishi Bharadwaja, and Bhagwan Shiva converses with Mata Parvati. Another underlying narration is, of course, of Sant Tulsidas to the reader; and scholars suggest that there is a subterranean conversation between Sant Tulsidas and Shri Rama, not easily revealed to the casual reader.

The epic traces events that led to Hari taking the Rama avatar, Shri Rama’s life and important events, His journey through the forests He was exiled to, and His influence on those whom He encountered. Most of these events and happenings are wrought with many undercurrents and have very deep meanings that do not divulge themselves at first glance but may come out subtly upon deeper contemplation, or jump out in moments of epiphany.

One such epiphany led me to peel some layers off the moment when Devi Ahalya encounters Shri Rama. In Sant Tulsidas’s words:

परसत पद पावन सोक नसावन प्रगट भई तपपुंज सही।
देखत रघुनायक जन सुख दायक सनमुख होइ कर जोरि रही॥
अति प्रेम अधीरा पुलक सरीरा मुख नहिं आवइ बचन कही।
अतिसय बड़भागी चरनन्हि लागी जुगल नयन जलधार बही॥

धीरजु मन कीन्हा प्रभु कहुँ चीन्हा रघुपति कृपाँ भगति पाई।
अति निर्मल बानीं अस्तुति ठानी ग्यानगम्य जय रघुराई॥
मै नारि अपावन प्रभु जग पावन रावन रिपु जन सुखदाई।
राजीव बिलोचन भव भय मोचन पाहि पाहि सरनहिं आई॥

मुनि श्राप जो दीन्हा अति भल कीन्हा परम अनुग्रह मैं माना।
देखेउँ भरि लोचन हरि भवमोचन इहइ लाभ संकर जाना॥
बिनती प्रभु मोरी मैं मति भोरी नाथ न मागउँ बर आना।
पद कमल परागा रस अनुरागा मम मन मधुप करै पाना॥

जेहिं पद सुरसरिता परम पुनीता प्रगट भई सिव सीस धरी।
सोइ पद पंकज जेहि पूजत अज मम सिर धरेउ कृपाल हरी॥
एहि भाँति सिधारी गौतम नारी बार बार हरि चरन परी।
जो अति मन भावा सो बरु पावा गै पतिलोक अनंद भरी॥

At a purely anecdotal level, the story goes thus:

Ahalya has been deceived by the king of the devatas Devendra who, in the guise of her husband, gets intimate with her; and when her husband sees them in a compromising position, he curses them both. Ahalya is cursed to be bound to the Ashram for a thousand years in the form of a rock sculpture (according to Sant Tulsidas) or as dust and ashes (according to Rishi Valmiki).

Rishi Valmiki, the original Kavi of the Aadi Kavya Ramayana, also mentions this incident, and delves into the motivations, the emotions, and the backstory in the 47th Sarga in verses 17-19:

तस्यान्तरं विदित्वा तु सहस्राक्षः शचीपतिः |
मुनिवेषधरोऽहल्यामिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥17॥
ऋतुकालं प्रतीक्षन्ते नार्थिनः सुसमाहिते |
सङ्गमं त्वहमिच्छामि त्वया सह सुमध्यमे॥18॥
मुनिवेषं सहस्राक्षं विज्ञाय रघुनन्दन |
मतिं चकार दुर्मेधा देवराजकुतूहलात्॥19॥

The husband of Shachee (Indra), took the form of the Muni (Gautam) and said to Ahalya: “Men seeking pleasure do not always wait for ritukaala (fertile period for women and the only period for copulation advised for married couples according to dharma); I want you, oh beautiful lady!” Oh Raghunandan (Rama)! Ahalya recognised him as being Indra in the guise of her husband and yet she accepted his proposal as she was elated that Indra was propositioning her.

Accepting this as the basis, Ahalya’s innocence in this episode is called into question. She was not as blameless as popular culture would have us believe; Rishi Gautam was not as heartless as painted by stories and TV series, and the story beyond this point is very nuanced.

Rishi Gautam, while cursing her, told her that she would be liberated only when she comes in contact with the lotus feet of Bhagwan. The first sight she would see upon returning to full consciousness would be the countenance of the primeval Lord! A sight that sages, and yogis, and even devatas, spend lifetimes pining for! If this is not Kripa, what is?
The period of incarceration is Ahalya’s tapasya – a blessing again, for it takes years to still the mind and the body enough to concentrate on the actual goal. The phala of this tapasya manifests in Ahalya in the form of inner transformation on the other side of it, as very subtly described by Sant Tulsidas in the chhanda:

1)
She appears to have become the light of tapasya, the prakash punja, herself! She has developed Bhakti, the epitome of deep devotion for Bhagwan:

परसत पद पावन सोक नसावन प्रगट भई तपपुंज सही।
देखत रघुनायक जन सुख दायक सनमुख होइ कर जोरि रही॥
अति प्रेम अधीरा पुलक सरीरा मुख नहिं आवइ बचन कही।
अतिसय बड़भागी चरनन्हि लागी जुगल नयन जलधार बही॥

Her Bhakti has reached its pinnacle of pure unbounded love, expressed only wordlessly through the exhilaration of the body and unchecked flow of tears.

धीरजु मन कीन्हा प्रभु कहुँ चीन्हा रघुपति कृपाँ भगति पाई।
अति निर्मल बानीं अस्तुति ठानी ग्यानगम्य जय रघुराई॥

She has to seek patience within herself and tell herself to behave as befits the one she’s facing before she can speak a word.

2)
मै नारि अपावन प्रभु जग पावन रावन रिपु जन सुखदाई।
राजीव बिलोचन भव भय मोचन पाहि पाहि सरनहिं आई॥

She has developed discernment, and sees her own folly – the impiety of a married woman knowingly dallying with another man. She now seeks sharanagati, for only His Kripa and sharanagati can wash away the gravest of sins.

मुनि श्राप जो दीन्हा अति भल कीन्हा परम अनुग्रह मैं माना।
देखेउँ भरि लोचन हरि भवमोचन इहइ लाभ संकर जाना॥

She sees the curse now as a blessing in disguise and expresses gratitude to her husband for giving her the opportunity to have pratyaksha darshan of the Lord.

3)
मै नारि अपावन प्रभु जग पावन रावन रिपु जन सुखदाई।

She seems to have also developed clairvoyance – even before Ma Sita and Shri Rama are wed she refers to the Lord as “Raavan Ripu” – the enemy of Raavan! She knows what is in store for His time on earth.

4)
बिनती प्रभु मोरी मैं मति भोरी नाथ न मागउँ बर आना।
पद कमल परागा रस अनुरागा मम मन मधुप करै पाना॥

जेहिं पद सुरसरिता परम पुनीता प्रगट भई सिव सीस धरी।
सोइ पद पंकज जेहि पूजत अज मम सिर धरेउ कृपाल हरी॥
एहि भाँति सिधारी गौतम नारी बार बार हरि चरन परी।
जो अति मन भावा सो बरु पावा गै पतिलोक अनंद भरी॥

She has achieved sthitaprajnyata – stability of the intellect – she asks for nothing from the Lord but His Bhakti. No boons, no reparations, not undoing of the taint on her reputation, not even Mukti! She revels again and again at her good fortune of being touched by the feet that are worshipped by Brahma, that are the origin of Ganga that Shiva places on his head. She happily accepts being reunited with the husband who cursed her, because with time she realises that his curse has led her to spontaneously achieve the most coveted goal of all!

Like many others, I have read this particular chhanda many times and passed it by. Coming back to the ocean analogy, Shri Ramacharitamanasa is full of such gems that seem to be plain shells on the shore but a deep exploration, careful contemplation, and divine will, leads to the text revealing its secrets like priceless pearls hidden inside ordinary shells!

I thank Sita and Rama, the divine parents of the cosmos, for allowing me a glimpse of their Leela through this beautiful blessed text.

सीय राममय सब जग जानी।
करउँ प्रनाम जोरि जुग पानी॥

I see Sita and Rama in the entire world and bow to them with folded hands.